Tunnel vision / First attempt at raspberry picking

When I worked for the Hereford Times I wrote a few stories about the huge polytunnel developments which have covered some of the country’s most beautiful and fertile farming land.

They are not the prettiest sight and in a stunning county like Herefordshire, with its rolling fields and deep red soil. They stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, often covering thousands of acres and running right up to the roadside.

I once got into a spat with the wife of a farmer fighting a battle with some villagers about the size of his latest polytunnel scheme. The locals argued that it was unsightly and pressed for the scale to be reduced, but the farmer and many of his counterparts couldn’t extoll the virtues of polytunnels enough, stressing their importance to the quality and length of the farming season.

I believed I covered the meeting fairly and the following week I wrote another piece in which the farmer waxed lyrical about the benefits of polytunnels for bees. Indeed, I can now relate to this as there are bee boxes in the Westlands polytunnels and they aid pollination greatly, even if they’ve got a habit of occasionally stinging the pickers.

However, in this very positive article I wrote something like “despite opposition from locals about the scale and appearance of the scheme” and his wife complained. I eventually put the phone down on her, disbelieving that she took offence at something which was so glowing in praise for her farm and polytunnels in general.

I have boycotted their products since while her reaction also turned my view on polytunnels from ambivalent to anti. I still believe that England’s most rural county has been tarnished by these plastic behemoths, continually eating into the countryside like massive white caterpillars.

But half a year on a farm has made me realise how essential polytunnels are to producers like Westlands and in August I found myself writing to Winchester City Council in support of their application for a row of tunnels at their Ford site.

Hypocritical, you might think, but this scheme is no Herefordshire or Kent leviathan, being considerably more modest and more than half a mile away from the nearest main road.

Polytunnels extend the growing season and allow farmers to produce fruit like strawberries and raspberries in a controlled environment. Because they are linked up to irrigation systems the plants are not subjected to the increasingly erratic whims of the British summertime, like extended hot and wet periods. Certainly they’ve been a lifesaver in times of flooding for many farmers in Herefordshire and the Midlands.

They also provide cover for pickers and boost the local economy as the more successful the farm, the more are employed with much of their income being spent locally. And although many people – hello certain Brexiteers – like the idea of going back to eating seasonally, quite a few also like the fact they can buy British-produced strawberries and raspberries in March, November and other unseasonal times.

I’m writing this because I got my first taste of professional raspberry picking during the first week of December, and that wouldn’t have been possible without a polytunnel.

My first attempt at 'professional' raspberry picking. These little beauties were sold in the farm shop in early December, believe it or not.

On Friday, December 4, I was asked to prune and deadhead the vines in one of the two operational tunnels left at Ford Farm. I was surprised to see the vines were still producing berries, and helped myself to a few along my journey, given they would otherwise land on the floor. Although quite a few were overripe and not suitable for selling, there were plenty of gems among the vines and I’m sure the pickers would have no problem filling up a few punnets.

I didn’t expect that picker would be me. After putting my secateurs down Graham and his dad, Steve, decided it was time for me to give raspberry picking a go in the last tunnel.

Now I know what to look for having been station master for a month so if the raspberries leave the vines too easily or appear too red, then they’re more suited for the bucket than a punnet. There should be a little bit of resistance when berries are pulled from the vine, but not too much, as they will likely be crunchy. If any part of the raspberry seems wet, or rubs off, then leave it out.

I soon learn that raspberry picking is considerably harder than strawberry picking. Whereas the latter can be continually picked at eye level, raspberry vines are often eight feet high and berries can grow at every level. That’s a lot of area to cover and the row is 70 yards long, so it’s quite a challenge to get everything when you’re up against the clock.

Then there’s the issue of colour, as the more experienced pickers will divvy up the raspberries into varying shades. It’s a beautiful thing seeing ten punnets of different shaded raspberries in a tray, like a fruity colour chart, and some pickers like Constantine have mastered the art. Indeed, Steve tells me that it takes two to four years to become an expert raspberry picker, so I was unlikely to master the job in under two hours.

I’m glad I wasn’t hard on the pickers when being station master as I now fully appreciate how hard the job can be. I barely managed to fill up two trays in my time, such was my determination to get the possible berries from the vine, whereas Steve filled up a couple of punnets in around ten minutes.

I delivered the two trays to Westlands Farm Shop afterwards and I love the fact the raspberries in the last punnets of 2020 were picked by my hands.

It's been getting a tad chilly on the farm with the mercury hovering around zero in recent weeks. The polytunnels protected the raspberry vines from this heavy frost.

There may yet be one last pick before Christmas as the vines in the last tunnel still haven’t been pruned and some berries remain. It’s quite amazing to think that raspberry picking is still possible when it’s below zero outside and people are planning their Christmas dinners, yet it wouldn’t be possible with a polytunnel.